The longtime head of a prestigious Connecticut boarding school disappeared from his home and was later found unconscious from a suspected drug overdose at the family’s lake house, where police administered Narcan and revived him.
Charles Cahn III, 56, had led Suffield Academy for 23 years. He was placed on leave October 22, one day after federal agents reportedly arrived on campus as part of an IRS investigation.
Cahn’s removal from the position, which paid more than $1 million annually, came just hours after the agents visited the school on October 21.
For two days, Cahn could not be reached by relatives or friends and was not at his Connecticut home.
His wife eventually used location-tracking software and discovered that he was at the couple’s second home on a lake in Maine.
A Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to the property and found Cahn experiencing what the incident report described as a drug overdose.
According to the report, Cahn was in bed with “agonal and labored” breathing. A bottle of prescription medication was found nearby, although the specific drugs he may have taken have not been disclosed.
The deputy gave Cahn two doses of Narcan, a medication capable of reversing the effects of certain overdoses, and helped save his life.
Charles Cahn, the headmaster of the prestigious Suffield Academy, is allegedly under an IRS investigation
Cahn regained consciousness after receiving the medication and was taken to a hospital in nearby Bridgton, Maine.
The deputy later wrote that he was surprised to learn the identity of the man he had treated. “I learned Charles was the headmaster of a very prestigious school in Connecticut… and was under investigation for money laundering,” the report states.
Cahn resigned as Suffield’s head of school on Sunday, saying he wanted to concentrate on his health.
The details of the IRS inquiry remain unclear. The Boston Globe also reported that Cahn was being examined in connection with his relationship to a secretive Chinese company.
Property records show that Cahn and his wife, Hillary, 56, live in a $1.5 million residence on the Suffield Academy campus.
School trustees placed Cahn on leave after learning that he was the subject of an IRS investigation.
The school told members that its own finances were not being investigated. However, police indicated that questions had also been raised about possible discrepancies involving Cahn’s personal wealth.
In an email to trustees, Board President Frederic Powers said Suffield Academy was “cooperating fully with the investigation.”
Records show Cahn lives in a $1.5 million home on the Suffield Academy campus with his wife, Hillary, 56, (center)
After learning about the probe, the board members of the school decided to put Cahn on a leave. His successor, Casey Bobo has already taken up Cahn’s duties
Cahn had been regarded as a transformative leader at the boarding school and was expected to retire next summer.
During his tenure, he became one of the highest-paid leaders of a boarding school in the United States. Suffield had held a celebration honoring him only days before the announcement of his leave.
His sudden departure has shocked the school community. Parents told reporters that they had deeply admired Cahn’s leadership of the institution.
Casey Bobo, who had previously been identified as Cahn’s successor, has assumed his duties. One parent told the Boston Globe: “Everyone loved Charlie.”
Following news of Cahn’s overdose, Suffield Academy said it had hired a crisis public-relations firm to assist with the situation.
“We understand that this announcement may raise questions, and we appreciate your understanding of the limits on what we can share,” Powers wrote in his email.
Cahn’s attorney, Duncan Levin, said his client had devoted 34 years to Suffield Academy.
“He loves the Suffield community and is proud of what he, the faculty, and the staff have built together,” Levin said. “As he steps down, he wants the school to be able to focus on its students.”
Cahn joined Suffield as an English teacher and lacrosse coach. In 2004, he was promoted to the position of head of school at age 34
Founded nearly two centuries ago, the New England academy has approximately 420 students. Annual tuition for boarding students is $79,400, and about 20 percent of the student body comes from outside the United States.
Cahn began at Suffield as an English teacher and lacrosse coach before advancing through several leadership roles. He earned $1,124,088 during the 2024-25 fiscal year and received slightly more than $1 million in each of the two previous years.
Before becoming head of school, Cahn served as dean of the faculty and led admissions. He was appointed to the top position in 2004 at the age of 34.
He met his wife, Hillary Rockwell, while they were both at the school.
The couple raised their two children on campus and became closely associated with the academy’s identity. Their family photographs were even featured in school marketing materials.
Cahn was also known for his fundraising ability, a strength the school cited as a reason for his substantial compensation.
During his leadership, he helped oversee major changes to Suffield’s 350-acre campus, including the construction of athletic facilities, a dining hall and academic buildings.
He frequently traveled throughout the United States and overseas to support the school’s fundraising efforts.
His scheduled appearances included alumni gatherings in Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, San Francisco, Boston and New York City.
Suffield had also developed plans to honor Cahn and build on the fundraising legacy he established during more than two decades as head of school.